With a distinguished academic background and an extensive careerspanning diplomacy, academia, andinternational development, prof. Dr BorisCizelj has played a crucial role in facilitatingeconomic cooperation, knowledgeexchange, and sustainable development.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from theUniversity of Ljubljana in 1966, followed by a Master of Social Sciencefrom the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague (1971), where histhesis explored The Concept of Political Elite. In 1980, he completedhis PhD in Political Science at the University of Belgrade, focusing onEconomic Integration among Developing Countries.

His academic career began as an Assistant Professor of InternationalEconomic Relations at the University of Ljubljana (1966–1969). He latertransitioned into research and policy development, serving as aResearcher and Director at the Centre for International Developmentand Cooperation in Ljubljana (1969–1987), where he led efforts topromote international development initiatives.

His diplomatic career included appointments as Ambassador ofYugoslavia to Australia (1987–1991) and Ambassador of Slovenia tothe EU and NATO (1992–1996), where he played a critical role instrengthening Slovenia’s international presence.

In the private and research sectors, he served as Director of theSlovenian Business & Research Association (SBRA) in Brussels (1997–2012) and was a Board Member at the European Institute of IndustrialLeadership (EIIL) (2005–2007).

His commitment to fostering knowledge-based economies led to founding the Knowledge Economy Network (KEN) in 2011, where he continues to serve as Chairman.

His educational contributions have been significant, as he has held afull professorship at the UN University for Peace – European Centerfor Peace and Development (ECPD) in Belgrade since 2006.Additionally, he has been a Senior Adviser to the Director of theSlovenian Innovation Hub (since 2016) and a Founding Member of theSlovenian Academy for Sustainable Development (2023).

Current Engagements

Currently, as Chair of the Board of Directors of the KnowledgeEconomy Society, he is spearheading the development of theSustainability Network of Networks, a digitally supported collaborativeplatform designed to connect and enhance sustainability efforts acrossthousands of networks worldwide.

As an Adviser to the Slovenian Innovation Hub, he actively researchesinnovation ecosystems, chairs the Working Group on InnovationSupport Environment, and contributes to studies on the modernizationof university education systems and the Silver Economy.

In his role as Director of the ECPD Programme on Economic Diplomacy,Lobbying, and Negotiations, he leads training courses and consultinginitiatives on lobbying and negotiation techniques, teachespostgraduate courses on economic diplomacy, and mentors MA, MSc,and PhD students.

With an unwavering commitment to innovation, education, andsustainable development, prof. Cizelj continues to shape policies andstrategies that drive long-term economic and social impact.